


You're Breaking My Heart

by StripedScribe



Series: Febuwhump2021 [13]
Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Comfort, Hiding Medical Issues, Kidnapping, M/M, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:42:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29397141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StripedScribe/pseuds/StripedScribe
Summary: Care after a mission gone wrong, forced bedrest with a concussion. But Matt can't stop himself from hearing what goes on in the city, and if someone is in danger, he has to help. Even if it means lying to Frank.FebuWhump day 13 [Hiding Injuries]FrattWeek [Heart]
Relationships: Frank Castle/Matt Murdock
Series: Febuwhump2021 [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136723
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22
Collections: Fratt Week





	You're Breaking My Heart

It was a normal part of their routines now. Joint missions, the watch of a sniper as Matt broke into a building, the guard as he broke up a fight, the second shadow as he led someone to safety. Weapons switched for non-lethals, to injure, to not kill. Going home to separate apartments, safe-houses, but trying to spend their days together. Not ready for a label, not yet.

Feelings too confusing for both of them, questioning, just doing what feels right. Friends, lovers, something in between. Patching up injuries, checking they got home safe.

Forcing them to stay home when they had a concussion. “Red, you’re not going out tonight. Or tomorrow night. Keep your sorry self in this bed, where you can’t get hurt anymore, please? I’ll handle it.”

He grumbled from where he’d been bundled into bed, pulled out of his suit. “Mhmm.”

“Please. You’re concussed, I’ll stay with you for a bit.” One of them had to go back out, to finish shutting down that gang. A mission cut short the night before when Matt was taken down.

“It was a stupid mistake.”

“Maybe, but you’re still injured, that hasn’t changed. No matter the reason, you’re on bed rest. Let me look after you for a bit.”

“You don’t need to look after me Frank.” He was sulking, fully aware he was being childish about it all, but he’d gone out with worse injuries. “I’ll be fine.” And for all he would have wanted Frank to stay with him all day, he knew he had things to do.

“I thought we banned that word? Stay here for a while, I’ll go and get Max, get us some food. You up to eating something?

“Maybe. There should be some food in-”

“I looked, you haven’t been shopping in a while again. Want me to sort an online one for you?”

“I’m not hopeless.”

“You’re just injured. Let me help you, stop being so bloody stubborn.” He stopped from where he was trying to wriggle out of the blankets. “I’m going to get us some food, you stay here and sleep.”

“Hmpf.”

* * *

He heard Frank’s footsteps echoing down the corridor, the clack of Max’s claws beside him. It had been nice, to spend the day together, to eat together. Spend time with Max, argue with Frank on what he needed for shopping, forget about the world for a little while.

But now the world was there again, the night time sounds of the city. And he was alone, he couldn’t ignore it. Could listen, track Frank’s heartbeat through the streets, taking Max home. Begin his own patrol, heading towards their location from the night before, scaring the information out of them. Win that fight, and carry on with patrol, a slower stalk than Matt’s, more used to sitting and sniping. 

Too far away from the things happening the other side of the city.

The screams of a child.

He raced to get changed, pulling on his black mask, gloves. Jumping out the window, he leapt across rooftops, they were close, they were terrified. Taken from her room, screaming for her parents, against the man holding her.

It was too easy to take down the men, too easy as they dropped her to run away, weak, cowardly. As he picked her up, he tried to find Frank. Still across the city, too far to have even heard those screams.

“It’s okay, I’m going to take you home, you’re okay.” Trying to hush her tears, shuddering breaths and words. “Do you recognise this? Where do you live?” They must be looking for her, must have heard her be taken, been too slow to chase them down the roads. He headed back towards where he thought he heard her first screams, watching her for any recognition.

Quietly she spoke, pointing to a block of apartments. “This one.” As they entered the block, she wriggled to be put down, walking ahead of Matt. She must have only been about 7 years old.

“Upstairs? I’ll come with you, make sure you get there okay.” She ran back, grabbing his hand, no fear over his mask, his black suit.

“Okay Mr Devil. Daddy says you’re evil, but I don’t think you are. You saved me and evil people don’t save little girls. Mummy likes you, Daddy says you’re her crush, I don’t know what that means.”

“Oh. I’m not evil, that’s true. I’m just trying to help, look after the people in the city.” She tugged him along, as they trekked up the stairs.

“The lift’s broken again. It’s soooo many stairs. But Mummy says I can’t be carried all the time and I need to walk them. I’ve got little legs though.”

He didn’t know how to deal with children. Nod and follow seemed to be working, as she dragged him up to her apartment. As she rapped on the locked door, he stepped back, dropping her hand, parents were even more unpredictable than children. Her dad was the first to the door, a gasp as she ran into his arms, reassurances murmured into her hair. “You’re okay love, I know.”

Delayed, he seemed to only now noticed Matt walking away from them, and pushed her behind him, shutting the door. Behind it, he could here her shocked voice, “No it’s okay Daddy. Mr Devil rescued me. He brought me home.”

He really shouldn’t have come out with a concussion, a bout of dizziness hit him as he climbed back up to the rooftops, to start the journey home. Frank need never know he went out, he’d said he was staying at the safehouse tonight, trusting Matt to behave. That they’d meet for lunch tomorrow, Sunday, find a little cafe somewhere.

Almost home, and he tried to drag his mind away from Frank, to concentrate on the steps that were becoming more and more wobbly. A final leap, and he stumbled, catching his arm on the metal of a fire escape. Nothing major, a few steps more to his empty apartment, stripping out of his clothes. Checking the cut, long but shallow, easily wrapped in guaze and bandages. He’d have to wear something with sleeves tomorrow, hope it wasn’t too warm. Crashing into bed, to sleep off the rest of the concussion, do what he had been told, to rest. 

* * *

It had healed a little overnight, the slow scabbing of a wound, but he covered it again regardless. Checking the weather, and getting dressed, cool enough for a jumper to hide his arm. Walking to their meeting place, careful to not pull at it, to keep it from splitting open again. A slight breeze through the buildings, Frank already waiting at the corner, Max at his feet.

“Morning Red, sleep well?” Frank showed no sign of having known he’d been out,

Perfectly innocently, Matt replied, “All rested and recovered, ready for some lunch.” He held a hand out to Max as they walked on, smoothing him down before straightening up again. “Usual place I’m assuming with Max?”

One of their preferred date locations, owners who didn’t like to gossip, dog friendly, who never kicked up a fuss with two men on a date. If they were calling it dates now, past the point of pretending it was just lunch, just swapping info.

Still denying it to Foggy and Karen when they asked how his date was, when he rushed off at lunchtimes to see Frank. There wasn’t a label on it, not yet.

He did want there to be though. Would happily shout to the world that Frank Castle was his boyfriend, but he didn’t think Frank was there yet. This, this was their happy place though, a quiet booth, Max sat under the table, sandwiches and a shared bowl of chips.

Even if he was half focused on the scratch on his arm, willing it to heal quicker, as Frank told him he looked a lot better for having rested overnight. That the city was fine for one night, he’d looked after it.

They got coffees to takeaway, and as Matt reached for his, he felt the skin on his arm stretch, the gently weep of blood. It was covered, it would be fine, just act normal. Frank would never know. Walking the streets, heading towards one of the parks to relax, filling the time with small talk. Frank guiding him, extra helpful today as to not pull on his arm with the sweep of the cane, and to just be able to tune into Frank. To listen to his stories, interjected with warnings of kerbs and low branches, Max trotting along on the other side. A slow loop of the park, throwing balls for Max to chase, a gentle pace, murmured conversations on people watching

He picked it up without thinking, a ball dropped at his feet, throwing it away for him to chase again.

“Matt? What’s that on your arm?” Fuck.

Pulling down his sleeve, he tried to hide it again. “Nothing, just a scratch. Caught myself.”

“At home? What were you doing, let me see.” A gentle touch, callused hands pulling his sleeve up. Looking under the bandage, the smell off copper hitting the air. “It’s bleeding, what did you do?”

His silence was enough to give him away, the long length of bandage covering more than he could have managed to injure himself at home. “I went out.”

“You went out.” A sigh, his hand still held, “Matt, you promised me you wouldn’t.”

“I know, but there was a girl, and you were too far away, you wouldn’t have heard her.” He couldn’t have just left her, Frank knew that, must know that. But Frank was still angry at him, a raising voice.

“You could have called me! You should have let me go and help, or let me know you’d gone out, so I could have helped you!”

He should have. “I know, but I didn’t, it’s done now Frank!” He snatched his hand away, he knew it was concern, worry, but he’d had enough pity to last a lifetime. “She was fine, by the way. I just caught my arm coming home, I stumbled. It’s not deep, I just pulled at it earlier.”

“You shouldn’t have been out Red.” His name said with such fondness, a love that he didn’t deserve. “You were injured, because of something I dragged you into, you should have been resting, recovering. Please, let me look after you.”

“I don’t need that love, that care Frank! I don’t deserve it, I shouldn’t get taken out by such trivial things.”

“Matt, you’re breaking my heart.” A heart beating, truth, truth, truth. “You deserve love, in whatever way I can give it to you. Let me love you with all of my broken heart.”


End file.
